Moon's Daughter
by revolutionarychica
Summary: She's a powerful demigod who isn't supposed to exist. He's the son of Hades, and is an outcast of his own choosing. Will their feelings for each other help them find a place where they belong? (Bad summary, but it's better than it sounds!) Nico/OC, rated T for language and romance.
1. Chapter 1

**Just to set things straight, I obviously DO NOT own any part of the Percy Jackson series. The series belongs to Rick Riordan. The only characters I own are Brett, Zach, and my OC, Bree.**

**This is my first story, so please try to be kind with your reviews. Criticism always helps! Thanks and enjoy! ;)**

* * *

The school bus came to a jerky stop, all of us lurching forward in our seats. Next to me, Brett kept his arm firm around my shoulders, pinning me against him.

I looked out of the window at the Museum of Natural History, a sight I'd seen so many times, I could picture it with my eyes closed. I had to admit I had been excited for this trip, even though I'd been to D.C. far too many times and I wasn't really a city person. It was an excuse to miss school, and who doesn't enjoy a field trip once in a while?

The people on the bus started to exit, and I got up, shrugging out from under Brett's arm.

"Come on, Bree!" my best friend, Zach, called from in front of us.

I climbed off the bus after him. Zach was my neighbor and closest companion, and we were practically inseparable, despite his handicap -Zach had a limp, so he used crutches- and nerdiness. I was, if possible, weirder than he was, and had a temper as fiery as my hair.

You see, there were redheads, and then there was me. My hair was a bright, flaming red, which was unusual and tended to attract attention. Then there was the pale skin, skin that burned instead of tanning, which was a drawback if you spent a lot of time in the outdoors, like me. My best feature, I had decided, was my eyes. They were an unusual silvery grey, which made them unique- and I loved them.

No sooner had I come to stand next to Zach than Brett's hand found mine, fingers intertwining with my own. Zach shot Brett a glare, which the latter ignored.

Zach hated Brett. Ever since I'd started dating him, Zach had told me he was trouble. I wasn't sure why, because Brett didn't even talk to or look at Zach, but Zach seemed to think that Brett was out to get me. He even complained about how he smelled. Either he was jealous, or there was something about Brett I didn't know, or Zach just genuinely hated the guy.

True, Brett was overconfident and a bit full of himself. But he was nice to me most of the time, and he was _very _cute, with his blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I'd never known why he liked me -it certainly wasn't for my looks- but I wasn't complaining.

We headed into the Museum, and though I tried to wait for Zach, whose crutches made the climb up the steps more difficult for him, Brett pulled me along with him, hand tight around mine.

I glanced back as he pulled me into the building, but he squeezed my hand lightly.

"He'll catch up," Brett said dismissively. "Besides, who needs him?"

"I don't know why you two can't just get along," I said in a hushed whisper, irritated. "You ignore him, and you know he doesn't like you. Seriously, why can't you just be nice?"

Zach caught up then, shooting a glare at Brett. I sighed. The two of them were beginning to get on my nerves.

We spent a long time walking through rows of exhibits, and by the time lunch came around, my stomach was growling. I was heading for the food when Brett's hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Hey, Bree. Come here. I want to show you something." He took my hand and led me out of the food court. We technically weren't allowed to leave the large room, but I liked breaking the rules once in a while.

I noticed Zach looking around for me, and tried to wave, but Brett caught my hand.

"We'll come sit with him in a second," Brett said. "I just wanted to talk to you."

I didn't see anything wrong with this, but when he pulled me into an empty exhibit hall, I felt tense, as if danger was nearby. I wasn't sure why. Brett was a good guy. What could possibly happen?

"What did you want to talk about?"

Brett didn't answer immediately. He had a strange look in his eyes, the look of a dog when it sees a squirrel. I liked to hunt, I was used to the look in a predator's eyes, and this was much too familiar to me. I felt strangely uneasy.

"Well?"

"I think it's time you told me the truth, Hunter," Brett said, his tone different.

More... dangerous. Ominous. He was calling me by my last name, but why did I feel like he meant something else entirely?

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, didn't she tell you?" Brett's face took on an expression of cruel, false pity. "Oh no. Looks like Mommy doesn't want to claim her unwanted little girl."

My face heated up, flushed with anger. No one -no one- insulted me about my mother, even though I'd never met her. It was a touchy subject with me, and if you were rude about it, then you got your nose punched in.

"What's your problem?" I demanded angrily.

Brett smiled coldly. "I'm not the one with a problem."

I curled my hand into a fist, eyes narrowing. I opened my mouth for a scathing retort.

That was when he hit me.

Brett was strong, I knew that, but he had never been strong enough to hit someone so hard that they flew back several feet and hit a wall. When I straightened, head spinning, and felt my cheek, I felt three clawmarks oozing blood. He hadn't just hit me- he had clawed me.

"What are you-"

Brett wasn't Brett anymore. His fingers had become claws, not just claws but long black talons. His teeth elongated into deadly, sharp fangs. And behind him, a spiked tail flicked menacingly.

"Holy shiz."

I glanced around for an escape, and found none. The monster that had been Brett advanced on me, and I scrambled to my feet, prepared to fight for my life.

Suddenly, something flew through the air and hit the creature in the shoulder. Black blood oozed from the wound, and the Brett-monster screamed in agony as he yanked out a silvery arrow.

I turned at the same time he did, and my eyes widened in shock.

Zach was standing there, his legs no longer human legs, but furry goat legs with actual hooves instead of feet. Beside him, another arrow at the ready, stood a girl with spiky, blue-tipped black hair, electric blue eyes, and a t-shirt that read "DEATH TO BARBIE" in large white letters. The arrow seemed to crackle with electricity, and the expression on the girl's face was murderous.

"Get away from her!"

I could do nothing but stare as the Brett-monster hissed.

"Stay out of this, Thalia Grace," he -or was it an it?- snarled. "This has nothing to do with you."

"The hunting of all monsters is my job, as it is the job of any Hunter," Thalia said, unflinching. "And this girl is as much my business as she is yours, manticore."

"What is going on?" I cried, utterly confused and very, very scared. Thalia glanced at me, looking sympathetic.

The Brett-monster took advantage of the distraction and swung his tail, sending a volley of sharp spikes towards Zach and Thalia. Thalia ducked smoothly, pulling my friend down with her, and managed to fire another arrow. This one hit the Brett-monster in the back of the knee, and it collapsed with a howl.

Thalia was at my side in an instant, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the hallway with her.

"Run!"

* * *

**Ah, suspense! Please review and tell me what you think! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy! :) **

* * *

I managed to keep pace with Thalia, my heart thudding in my chest. Zach ran behind us, hooves thumping on the floor. People turned and shouted indignantly at us as we ran past, but we ignored them.

"What happened to him? Why is Brett... like that?"

"Brett isn't Brett," Zach panted beside me. "He's a manticore. The Mist prevented you from seeing his true form."

"The Mist... What? You're saying that all along, my boyfriend has been a manti-whatsit?"

Thalia's face was grim as we pounded toward the exit, the sounds of the Brett-monster/manticore getting closer.

"There's a lot of things you have to learn," she said. "But right now, we need to get you out of here. A manticore might be too strong even for me to handle."

"Who are you?" I demanded as we burst out of the building and started running down the steps.

"Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus," Thalia said just before a shape shot over our heads, landing in front of us and turning with a snarl.

The Brett-monster was back.

Thalia readied an arrow, but the Brett-monster took a swipe at her and knocked the bow out of her reach. Undaunted, she drew a long hunting knife and charged the beast. It released another spray of spikes that forced me to duck, pulling Zach down to the ground with me.

Suddenly, another shape ran to our aid. I stared up at the newcomer, who was a boy with dark brown hair, brandishing a glittering bronze sword and slashing at the Brett-monster, distracting it. It turned and glowered at him.

"Well, if it isn't the son of the sea god himself!" The Brett-monster lashed out at him, and the boy had to take a step back. He was quick on his feet, just like Thalia, and appeared to be a trained fighter.

The fight increased in tempo, but the Brett-monster was very strong. Thalia and the newcomer together couldn't seem to come close to defeating him. I was starting to think that they might lose.

Thinking quickly, I picked up Thalia's forgotten bow and readied an arrow. I'd never tried archery before, but hopefully I'd have beginners' luck. If not... I'd probably end up as my monster boyfriend's lunch.

I aimed and let the arrow fly. It sped past the boy with the sword and impaled the Brett-monster straight through the head. He/it disintegrated into a pile of golden dust with a last screech.

Thalia and the boy turned towards me, looking about as stunned as I felt. It had been a perfect shot.

Next to me, Zach gasped, looking up at something above my head. Thalia and the new boy looked up as well, and their jaws dropped. Thalia was pale.

I looked up and started in surprise at the silvery, glowing hologram hovering above my head. It was in the shape of a moon surrounded by stars, and as I watched, it vanished. I looked at my rescuers and saw them exchanging a glance. I lowered the bow and got to my feet.

"Now, will someone kindly explain to me what that was, why my boyfriend just tried to kill me, and what the hell is going on here?"

I was mad, yes, but I had reason to be.

The boy with Thalia looked sympathetic. He extended a hand, and I shook it warily.

"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon," he said. "What's your name?"

"Bree Hunter," I said, unsteady on my feet. I was still in a state of shock. My boyfriend, who had always stuck with me even though I was nothing special, had turned into a monster and tried to kill me. And now I had discovered that the only boy who'd ever been attracted to me... wasn't a boy after all.

Percy looked sympathetic. "I know this is all very surprising to you, but I can explain."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Percy let out a long breath.

"You're a demigod."

I just looked at him blankly. Sure, I knew what a demigod was- the child of a god or goddess and a human. But I was pretty sure they didn't exist.

"Um... come again?"

"One of your parents -apparently your mother- is a goddess of Olympus," Percy explained. "I know, it's unbelievable. But all those Greek myths and legends -tales of monsters, and gods, and heroes- are true."

I looked at Thalia for confirmation. She nodded, but her expression scared me. She looked angry and awed and frightened, all at the same time.

"And... my only boyfriend was a monster?"

"Brett is -was- a manticore," Zach explained. "Monsters have a specific smell, and he reeked of it. That's why I didn't like him. But I couldn't be sure... until now."

"Monsters are attracted to demigods for one purpose," Percy said. "That is to hunt them down and kill them. If you know you're a demigod, it's easier for them to find you, which is why it took so long for this to happen. You're... how old?"

"Fifteen."

"Huh. You should've been claimed before now, but now you have been, so that's a relief."

"Claimed? Is that what just happened?" I asked, feeling lost.

Percy nodded. "That was a sign from your mother."

"And... who is my mother?" I demanded, wanting the answer to the question I'd asked myself all these years.

"Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the moon," Thalia said. She was still eyeing me with a form of hostility and fear. "She's also... one of the only goddesses who doesn't have kids."

"But I'm her daughter," I said, confused. Percy swallowed.

"Yes. That is kind of a problem."

"You're saying I'm not supposed to exist?" I suddenly began to realize what everyone was so stunned about, and I was starting to get angry. "My mother never showed herself to me because she's a goddess, and because she's not supposed to have any kids?"

"Look, it's not as bad as it seems," Percy said. "Once we get you back to camp, it'll all be explained. We'll figure this out."

He didn't look so sure.

"Camp? What camp?" I asked, not wanting to be the only clueless person in the group.

"Camp Half-Blood," Percy explained. "It's a safe place for people like us to live and train."

"Train?" I was interrupted by an irritated Thalia.

"Wait a moment. No one said she was coming to camp with you. This is as much of a matter for the Hunters as it is for you, and for Chiron. Especially given who her mother is."

Percy's eyes narrowed.

"Thalia, she's just finding out about all of this. I think we should take her back to camp first, have Chiron explain. Then you can feel free to attempt to recruit her, but for now, we need to take her someplace safe." For a moment, I thought Thalia was going to yell at him, but then she sighed.

"Fine. But the Hunters will have a say in this." Percy shrugged.

"Whatever works."

"Wait, wait, wait. Where are you taking me?"

"Camp Half-Blood," Percy said. "It's in New York."

"New York?" I stared at him. "Isn't that a bit far away? And what about my dad?"

"We can send him a message," said Percy. "And as for the distance..." He whistled, and my three companions all looked up. I looked up with them, and my jaw dropped. If it was possible, my chin would have hit the ground.

A winged horse landed gracefully on the ground in front of us, whinnying happily.

"Yes, she's coming with us," Percy said, as if the horse could understand him. When the horse whinnied in response, I got the strange feeling that it could.

"Thalia, you should take Zach with you," Percy said. "I can take Bree here with me- I think Blackjack can handle the both of us."

Thalia's eyes darkened. Zach looked thrilled, and as I looked more closely at him, I realized that my friend might just have a crush on Thalia.

"Fine," said Thalia. "I'll beat you there."

Percy grinned and mounted the pegasus. "Bring it on." He offered me a hand and swung me up onto the pegasus' back behind him. I awkwardly wrapped my arms around him from behind, holding on for dear life.

We took off, and I realized that I hated heights. They made me feel sick, and sometimes, they made me throw up. My face was probably a strange shade of green.

_Maybe we should have taken a train._


	3. Chapter 3

When we finally landed in the middle of Camp Half-Blood, I was almost certain that my face was the color of the grass around us. Even the awesomeness of riding on an actual winged horse had done nothing to get rid of the sick feeling in my stomach.

I dismounted shakily, trying to calm my nerves. Percy dismounted and said something to the horse, then looked at me and laughed.

"You don't like heights, do you?"

"Never make me do that again," I said, shaking my head quickly and feeling cross. He laughed again.

"Sorry. It was the only fast way to get here that I could think of."

I looked around curiously. Campers in bright orange t-shirts were strolling around the camp, looking busy. Some of them glanced at me curiously, but they seemed accustomed to newcomers in their camp, and didn't give me more than a second glance.

"Where are Thalia and Zach?" I asked, realizing that I hadn't seen them. I felt suddenly guilty. I'd left Zach with Thalia without even saying goodbye. What kind of friend was I?

"They might actually be a while," Percy said. "Thalia will want to tell the Hunters about you, and she will want to speak with Artemis about it."

"Hunters?"

"Long story," Percy said. "I'll tell you all about it later. But don't worry, she'll bring Zach to camp safely."

Looking around, I saw that we were surrounded by cabins. Each of them was the same size, but they were all designed differently.

Percy saw me looking.

"Each of those cabins is designed for the children of a specific god or goddess," he said. "We keep having to make new ones."

"Are there any other people in your cabin?" I asked curiously.

"Just me, for now," Percy said. "There are less children of the Big Three right now because of the old oath... oh, you don't know about that, do you?"

"Tell me," I said. "Please?" Percy grinned and started walking. I hurried to catch up, not wanting to be left behind.

"The Big Three are the three most powerful gods- Zeus, god of the sky, Poseidon, god of the sea, and Hades, god of the Underworld. A while ago, the Big Three swore on the river Styx never to have children with mortals again, because their children were too powerful."

"I'm guessing it's a big thing to swear on the river Styx?" Thunder rumbled overhead, and Percy glanced up nervously.

"Yeah, it is."

"So what happened?"

"Well, each of the gods ended up breaking the oath. Zeus broke the oath when Thalia was born, and so many monsters came after her that she was overpowered before she reached camp. She made her final stand on the hill where the dragon guards the Golden Fleece, and taking pity on her, Zeus turned her into a pine tree. When we brought the Golden Fleece to camp -which is another long story- she was brought back, but the tree's still there."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Then, Poseidon broke his oath when I was born. So when I was claimed, things were pretty chaotic. I technically 'wasn't supposed to be born' either, so you're not alone."

I felt a bit better, but not much. "What about Hades? Did he break the oath?"

"Yes," Percy said, his expression growing a bit darker. "He had two children- Nico and Bianca di Angelo. Nico comes to stay here sometimes, but he's more of a loner. He thinks he'll never be fully accepted because he's the son of Hades."

"What about Bianca?" I asked. Percy seemed to stiffen, and I wished I hadn't said anything. "Another long story?" I said tentatively.

"Yeah," Percy said. He was quiet after that.

Percy led me to a large, white house at the far end of camp. He started up the steps, and I walked beside him, feeling a bit apprehensive.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to meet Chiron," he said. "He's the activities director at camp. The camp director is Dionysus, god of wine, but he's a jerk."

I stared at him, stunned by the fact that their camp director was the _freaking wine god_, but he seemed so casual about it that I decided to let it pass.

We entered the house, and I was led to a room where two people sat at a card table, playing some sort of game and drinking Diet Coke.

One of the men had dark hair and a beard, and sat in a wheelchair covered with a blanket. The other was considerably heavier, had dark hair and a sour expression, and was dressed in what looked like a leopard-skin tracksuit.

The wheelchair man looked up as we entered. He smiled when he saw Percy, and his eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Another new camper! Excellent job, Percy." He looked at me with a kindly smile. "What is your name, child?"

I didn't like being called "child", but I smiled at him anyway. "Bree," I said. "Bree Hunter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bree," said the man kindly. "I am Chiron." With that, he stood, and my jaw dropped for what had to be the thousandth time that day.

The activities director was a centaur.

"That is..."

"Totally awesome. I know." Chiron smiled, and Percy laughed at my dumbfounded expression. I closed my mouth quickly, seeing the other man's look of amusement.

"This is our camp director, Mr. D," Chiron said, indicating the other man seated next to him. The man glanced at me with a bored expression.

"And has she been claimed?" he asked, looking at Percy with an expression of dislike. Percy's expression grew grim.

"That's kind of the problem. Bree's mother is..."

"There you are, Seaweed Brain!"

We were interrupted by a blonde girl in an orange camp t-shirt strolling into the room, shoulder-bumping Percy and intertwining her fingers with his. I realized suddenly that this was Percy's girlfriend.

"I was wondering where you'd run off to," the girlfriend said with a smile. She looked at me with an expression of slight curiosity. "Well, hi. I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

"I'm Bree," I said, feeling slightly awkward. "Hi."

"You're new, aren't you? Do you know who your parent is?"

I glanced at Percy "Well..."

"I was just telling Chiron... there's a slight problem," Percy said slowly. "Bree is kind of the daughter of... Artemis."

Chiron's face paled, and he exclaimed "What?" just as Annabeth gasped, the sky rumbled with powerful thunder, and the leopard-skin man actually stood up. Purple flames flickered in his eyes as he fixed me with a burning glare.

"What? Impossible!"

Percy shook his head. "I saw it. The symbol was a moon and stars. It had to be Artemis. It's crazy, but it's the only explanation. She took down a manticore with a single shot."

"I'd never touched a bow before in my life," I promised. The leopard-skin man looked furious. I felt more afraid of him than I'd been of the manticore, and then it hit me. Mr. _D_. This must be Dionysus.

"If this is true, then Artemis has broken her vow," Dionysus said, his voice cold. "This child should not exist. It goes against Artemis's vow. She swore on the river Styx, and there is no oath more binding."

The sky crashed with thunder again, and I flinched. Camp Half-Blood had sounded pretty cool, but now I just wanted to get out of here. I hated the way they were glaring at me, like I was a freak. It made me angry.

"Well, what are we going to do?" It was Annabeth who had spoken. She studied me carefully. "This is a matter that will have to be settled by the gods."

"Zeus will be furious," said Dionysus. "Who knows what the other gods will do when they find out?" He looked at me, and I tried not to let my fear show.

"Artemis technically wasn't the first to break her oath," Percy said, staring Dionysus down. "Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all broke theirs."

"Do you _seriously_ want to bring your father into this?"

"_Will you all please be quiet_?!" I exclaimed.

Silence fell over the room. Dionysus looked ready to kill when he looked at me.

"Okay, I get it. I shouldn't exist. I shouldn't be alive. My mom broke a really, _really_ serious oath, and now everyone's going to be in an uproar. I just found out about all this, and now you're talking about me as if I'm not even here? I haven't done anything."

"This will throw off the balance of everything." Dionysus was unmoved by my little speech. "Things need to be set right." Purple lightning crackled at his fingertips as he looked at me, eyes dark. "Maybe spontaneous combustion is the answer."

"Spontaneous combustion?" I gasped, my eyes wide. "You can't just blow me up!"

"Take your excuses to Hades," Dionysus said, and he raised a hand and aimed it at me.

I was ready to be blasted when a burst of white light filled the room. Automatically shielding my eyes, I turned away until the light died.

When I turned back, a woman with auburn hair and silvery eyes stood between myself and the wine god, a bow strapped across her back, a hunting falcon on her shoulder, and a long, silver hunting knife in her hand. She seemed to glow with the cold light of the moon, and I knew in an instant who she was.

"Stop!"

Artemis stood tall and proud, despite the burning glare Dionysus was sending her. All I could do was stare.

"Your crime is inexcusable," Dionysus said, fixing his angry violet gaze on her. "There will be punishment for this."

"If there is punishment to be given, it should not be given to my daughter," Artemis said firmly. "She has done nothing."

"How could you break your oath?" It was Chiron speaking. "You swore-"

"I am still a maiden," Artemis said smoothly. "It was a mental connection, like that of Athena and the mortals she has fallen in love with. She was born from the connection of our minds, nothing more."

I blinked. What did that mean? I wasn't actually born- I'd just been created from the minds of Artemis and my father? _Poof_?

Percy put a hand on my shoulder, meaning to comfort me, but I shrugged it off, intent on the two gods before me.

"Zeus will-"

"He has already heard." Artemis's voice was cool. "He is furious, as he has the right to be. There will be a council of the gods, and we will settle this matter. But you will not take your anger out on my daughter, just because she exists."

Dionysus looked as if he would challenge her, then sat down with one last glare at me.

"On your head be it," he said to Artemis, who didn't flinch. She looked at Chiron.

"I wish to speak to my daughter alone."


	4. Chapter 4

Artemis left the room, not looking to see if I would follow, but I followed her out of the room. We stopped on the porch of the house, and she finally turned and looked at me for the first time.

I could see the resemblance in our faces now- I had her silvery eyes, her defined features, the proud tilt to her head. She was taller, though- and powerful. Next to her, I felt tiny.

"Bree," Artemis -my mom- began, but I cut her off, all of my anger coming back to me. All of my unanswered questions came back in a rush.

"How could you do it? How could you... create me, however you did it, and then leave me to live alone with Dad? How could you leave _him _alone? How could you let me live without knowing you were my mother? How could you break your oath? How could you leave me on my own all this time?"

I was out of breath after my little outburst, and I half expected my mother to blast me and finish what Dionysus had started. Artemis looked mutinous for a moment. Then, to my surprise, she sighed, and her shoulders slumped.

"I know what I have put you through," she said. "I know it hasn't been easy-"

"No, it hasn't."

"-but this all happened for a reason," Artemis continued, looking at me sharply. "Yes, I broke my vow, in a way. But your father was a better man than you know. I _had_ to leave you alone- I was guilty about what I'd done, and I didn't want that kind of weight on your shoulders while you were growing up. I waited until you were old enough, and now you are."

"Dionysus would have killed me," I said. "The other gods might kill me, and I haven't even done anything."

"They won't kill you, not if I'm still alive," Artemis said firmly. "And I'm immortal."

I shook my head. "I hardly even know you."

"I know." Artemis looked sad. "And I wish things were different. But there is another choice."

I looked up at her in confusion.

"What other choice?"

"My lieutenant, Thalia, will tell you," Artemis said. "She will arrive with your satyr friend in a few days' time. Zeus has requested my presence on Olympus, and I dare not refuse him. You must trust me, Bree."

I didn't meet her eyes. Artemis sighed sadly.

"I know that I should stay, and explain things more thoroughly, but I'm afraid there isn't time. I must return home to Mount Olympus. But when you need me, I will be there."

There was a burst of light, and I shielded my eyes for the second time that day. When I looked up again, Artemis was gone.

* * *

I stood there for a long time, staring at the spot where my mother had been. I had found her at last, but I wasn't satisfied. There was so much I didn't know, and that scared me.

"Bree?" Chiron had come out to join me. "I know this has all been a shock to you..."

"I don't understand why she did it," I said, turning to him. "Why did she do it? And why did she leave?"

Chiron let out a long sigh. "I don't pretend to know the gods' reasons for anything," he said. "But you are welcome here at camp. Here, you can train and grow stronger. Dionysus won't kill you... I don't think."

"Comforting," I said dryly.

"You'll fit in here."

"Will I?" I looked up at him as a new thought hit me. "Will I fit in? People stare at me like I've grown a third eye when they find out who my mother is! How am I supposed to fit in when I'm not supposed to exist?"

Chiron looked tired.

"Things aren't as dark as they seem," he said. "I understand that you will take some time to take it all in. Although you have taken the fact that you are a demigod surprisingly well."

I shook my head.

"I know you're trying to be helpful, Chiron," I said. "And... thanks. But this has all happened so fast- I just need to be alone. Please?"

Chiron gave me a long look, then nodded.

"When you are ready, come back to the Big House. Everything will look better once you've settled in."

I turned on my heel and walked away quickly.

I didn't know when I'd started to run, but once I had, I didn't slow down. My feet took me past the cabins, past startled campers who paused to watch my progress, past the rest of the camp and towards the woods. Once I'd reached them, I darted into the trees.

* * *

Being in the outdoors, in the woods, had always made me feel safer and more welcome. It gave me a sense of freedom that was unlike anything else. I could think more clearly.

I stopped in a small clearing, leaning against a tree and catching my breath. I wasn't sure where I was.

I could handle being a demigod. I could handle the monsters, and the fighting, I was fairly sure of that. I might even be able to handle the fact that my mother was a goddess.

But the facts that my boyfriend was not in fact human, and my mother was not in fact supposed to have children, were a bit harder to take in. Would I always be like this, different from everyone else? Alone? A freak?

What if I never fit in?

That was when a huge shape shot out of the trees, straight at me.

I didn't have time to scream before the thing tackled me to the ground. When I looked up, the face of an enormous dog was looking down at me, panting, sharp fang-like teeth visible. The dog was huge and black and had glowing eyes.

Naturally, I panicked. I struggled. The dog lowered its head, and I steeled myself for the bite.

The dog licked my face like an overexcited puppy. I froze, frightened at first, then laughed. All the stress of the day went away, and I kept laughing, wiping my face and sitting up, tentatively petting the dog and smiling.

Suddenly, the dog perked up and turned, running to its owner's side. I looked up at him and got to my feet immediately.

He had almost seemed to materialize out of the shadows, which appeared to reach out to him as if to pull him back in.

The boy was about my age, a bit taller than me, and was dressed in all black- black t-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and an aviator jacket. A silver skull ring glittered on one of his hands, while the other rested on the hilt of a black sword.

His eyes were dark, almost black, and his hair was jet black, covering his forehead and almost covering his eyes. His skin was pale as if he spent most of his time indoors, or in the shadows. He radiated power, and something about him gave me chills.

"Sorry about the hellhound," he said. "Mrs. O'Leary's harmless."

"I know," I said, scrutinizing him warily. He looked cautious.

"What are you doing out in the woods by yourself?"

"I could ask you the same question," I countered. The boy raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not alone. I've got Mrs. O'Leary. Besides, I'm armed."

"What kind of boy dresses in all black and spends his time in the woods with a hellhound?"

"What kind of girl runs into the woods on her own, without a weapon, when they're obviously full of monsters?"

I stiffened. "Monsters?"

"Monsters."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Then why are you out here, if it's _oh-so-dangerous_?" I asked suspiciously.

The boy folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not exactly defenseless." He looked at me curiously. "But what are you doing out here?"

I hesitated, then sighed. "Running away."

"From who?"

"People," I said, shrugging. "Well, if you can call demigods, a wine god, and a centaur people."

"Why are you running away from them?"

"Because I'm sick and tired of them staring at me like I'm some sort of freak, just because I'm different."

The boy seemed to relax then. "I know how you feel."

"Do you?"

He smiled bitterly. "When you're the son of the god of death, people look at you like you're a freak, too."

My eyes widened in realization. "You're the son of Hades. You're..."

"I'm Nico," said the boy. "Nico di Angelo."


	5. Chapter 5

**Switching up POVs! Please review! Feedback is always welcome... Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Nico's POV

I waited for her response, watching as her eyes widened. Then she relaxed.

"I'm Bree, Bree Hunter," said Bree, looking at me curiously. "Percy told me about you."

"Percy Jackson told you about me?" I asked incredulously. Bree nodded.

_How much did he tell her?_

"He didn't tell me a lot," Bree said quickly, seeming to read my mind. "He told me that you were one of the children of the Big Three, how you don't stay at camp because you feel like you don't fit in. But that's all I know."

I sighed and scratched Mrs. O'Leary's head. The hellhound gave a little growl, which I had learned meant she was happy.

"Children of Hades aren't accepted," I said finally. "Percy would say otherwise, but we don't belong with the living."

"That sounds... lonely," Bree said, looking at me closely. Her silvery gaze was piercing, and I got the feeling that she knew what I was thinking and feeling. And that scared me.

"It's life," I said, shrugging my shoulders and smiling bitterly. "I've grown used to it."

"Dark thoughts for someone your age," Bree remarked. I straightened.

"You can't be more than thirteen yourself," I said defensively, almost smirking at her.

"Fourteen," Bree countered, eyes alight with mischief. "And you're what, twelve?"

Now I was trying hard not to smile. "Fourteen as well," I said.

Bree smiled. "Well, dark thoughts for a fourteen-year-old, then."

"I _am_ the son of the god of death, what do you expect?"

Bree laughed a bit at that. Then she looked at me more seriously. "I still don't understand why being the son of Hades makes you an outcast."

"Hades is an outcast among the gods," I said. "There's no reason why it shouldn't be that way with his children. Besides... I've been told I practically radiate fear. People can't stand being close to me."

Bree thought about this for a moment. Then she surprised me by taking several steps forward until we were inches apart. She took a deep breath and met my gaze with eyes like steel.

"See? No problem." I could see that her breathing had accelerated, but she didn't back down.

I didn't understand this. Ever since I had discovered my heritage, and the rest of the world had as well, I had been feared. People had left me alone, and I had left people alone. No reason to scare anyone any more than I already had. But here was someone who was different. Someone who would stand close to me, look me in the eyes, and talk to me like I was a normal human being. Or... as close to a normal human as I could be.

And for the first time, I was starting to feel... hopeful.

Bree's POV

Being this close to him was affecting me, but not as badly as Nico had seemed to think. I could feel my heart beat faster as I met his gaze, and that strange chill came over me, making me suppress a shiver. It was a scary feeling, but it was almost... _exhilarating. _

Up close, I could see that Nico's eyes weren't black, but a dark brown. It was nice, I thought. I could have slapped myself for thinking that.

Nico looked confused, and as if he was thinking hard. His eyes focused on me, and then he blinked in surprise.

"What happened?"

"What?"

"Your face," Nico said. "It has claw marks on it."

"Oh, that," I said. "That's nothing." Nico raised his eyebrows.

"That looks like a little more than nothing to me." He reached into the pocket of his jacket, seemed to search in it for something, then handed me a square of... something.

"Uh, thanks?"

"It's ambrosia," Nico said. "Food of the gods. It'll clear that up for you."

"I'm fine," I said, not wanting to sound like a wimp.

"Do you want that to scar?" Nico eyed me knowingly. I quickly popped the square into my mouth and chewed. It tasted good, like... dark chocolate.

I felt a warm feeling spread through me, and reached up to touch my cheek. The bleeding had already stopped, and I could almost feel it healing.

"Thanks," I said. Nico stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"You're welcome. What clawed you?" I quickly looked away, remembering my fight with my monster boyfriend.

"My ex-boyfriend."

"What?" Nico looked alarmed. I sighed.

"Brett... well, he wasn't Brett, now that I think about it. He was Brett one second, then he grew claws and turned into a manticore, and it turns out he never was human after all."

Nico looked shocked. "Your ex-boyfriend is a _manticore_?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I didn't know he was a manticore. I thought he was human, up until he..."

"Tried to kill you?" Nico suggested. I glared at him.

"Yes. Okay, I don't have good taste in guys, and the only guys that like me are apparently monsters. What's it to you?"

Nico sighed. "That's not what I meant," he said. I gave him a small smile, realizing he hadn't meant any harm, and he relaxed. "Do you need help finding your way back?"

"Yes, actually," I admitted. Nico set off at once, setting a brisk pace through the trees. I had to run to catch up.

We walked back through the trees, Mrs. O'Leary walking beside us. When we reached the edge of the woods, Nico stopped.

"This is as far as I'll take you," he said. "Go straight to the Big House. They'll be worried about you."

"Where are you going?" I asked. Nico just looked at me. I sighed. "Fine, don't tell me," I grumbled. Nico almost smiled again. I found that I wanted him to smile, and didn't understand my disappointment when he did not.

"Like I said, I prefer to be alone."

"Lots of people say that, but they don't mean it," I said, looking at him closely. Nico looked at me for a long time, until I had to avert my eyes.

When I looked back, Nico di Angelo was gone.

* * *

When I arrived back at the Big House, the girl called Annabeth was waiting on the porch.

"There you are!" Annabeth said, standing up and looking relieved. "Chiron said you'd gone off to be by yourself, but no one knew where you'd gone."

"I went to the woods," I admitted. Annabeth looked surprised.

"And you didn't get lost?" she asked, impressed. I felt a bit sheepish.

"Actually, I did," I admitted.

"How did you find your way back?"

"Oh, Nico showed me the way out," I said breezily. The look of shock on Annabeth's face made me want to laugh.

"Nico... as in Nico di Angelo?"

"Yeah," I said. "Is that really so surprising?" I could tell that it was.

"Well, Nico doesn't talk to many people," Annabeth said. "He prefers..."

"...to be alone, I heard," I said. "He told me."

"That's really surprising," Annabeth said. "And he helped you out?"

"Well, he sort of had to," I said. "His hellhound jumped on me."

"Mrs. O'Leary?"

"Yeah," I said with a grin. "I like that dog." Annabeth shook her head slowly.

"Well, I'm glad Nico's been able to talk to somebody," she said. "He used to talk to me, but I think that's only because he had a crush on me."

I stared at Annabeth in surprise. Nico had had a crush on her? For some reason, I felt envy stirring inside me.

_Why am I jealous over a boy I've just met?_

"Don't tell Nico I said that, okay?" Annabeth said quickly. "I don't think he still likes me, and I don't think he'd appreciate me telling you."

"Of course not," I said. "Besides, I don't think I'll get the chance to talk to him again."

Annabeth considered me. "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

* * *

After the campfire that night, I walked sleepily into my cabin and flopped onto my bed, exhausted. Dinner had been spent by myself at a lonely table in the pavilion while people stared and whispered. Chiron had introduced me to the entire camp, which had done nothing to improve the situation.

I was starting to understand why Nico stayed by himself. I would leave too, if people were always whispering about me. The only difference was, Nico knew his way around in this new world of Greek mythology, while I was a stranger to it.

For the first time that day, I wondered how my dad was doing. Did he miss me? With just the two of us in that lonely house in the woods, he probably did. He would be alone tonight. I hoped someone had told him I was at camp. Maybe I should write him a letter.

That night, I dreamed of home.


	6. Chapter 6

**First of all, sorry for not updating in a while! I've been pretty busy as of late- I was in NYC for the past week and didn't bring my iPad with me, so I couldn't write. For a while I was also losing interest in the story, but hopefully I'll be updating more frequently now. **

**Thanks for reading and following my story, and don't be shy- I would love any reviews you can give me! Thanks!**

* * *

Chapter Six

"Pick up your sword, wimp!"

I tried to catch my breath as Clarisse, a burly, bad-tempered daughter of Ares, paced above me. My sword lay about a foot away from where I was sprawled on the ground.

The day had been spent figuring out what I was good at and what I... wasn't good at. I'd found that I was pretty fast and agile -I enjoyed the climbing wall, which had actual _lava_- and I was naturally great with a bow and arrow, thanks to Artemis. Canoeing, spear-throwing, lifting heavy objects... those were the skills I... well, lacked.

And I was _horrible_ with a sword.

I got to my feet, feeling bruised and battered. Clarisse eyed me without pity.

"Need a break?" I nodded, ashamed but too tired and thirsty to care. I'd been beaten so many times I'd almost given up.

I headed over to Percy, Chiron, and Annabeth, who had been watching the whole thing.

"Water?" Percy tossed me a plastic water bottle, which I drank from gratefully.

"Well, I suck, don't I?"

"I wouldn't say that..." Annabeth looked awkward.

"Sword-fighting isn't one of your strengths," Chiron said seriously. I gave him a "duh" look and rolled my eyes.

"_Really_, now?"

"Well, you might improve before the monsters kill you," Percy said brightly.

"Thanks a lot," I said, throwing my water bottle at him. He caught it with ease, and I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.

"Maybe another weapon?" Chiron didn't look hopeful, but I shrugged.

"Why not? I can't get any worse, can I?"

We headed over to the weapons shed, where I looked at various swords and blades. They all felt off-balance in my hands, and I was losing hope quickly.

Then I saw them. They were in a corner of the shed, dusty and disused, but when I blew away the dust, silver shone in the sunlight coming through the doorway. The two knives were long and slightly curved, like-

"Hunting knives," Chiron finished my thought, standing behind me. "Left here by a Hunter of Artemis."

"Sorry, but... what's a Hunter of Artemis?"

"The Hunters are followers of Artemis- girls who have chosen to live a life apart, away from men and boys and romance. They join the goddess's Hunt forever- she grants them immortality if they join the Hunt."

I thought about this for a moment, then held up the knives. "Can I try these?"

"Well..." Chiron looked doubtful, but he must have felt bad for me, because he shrugged. Why not?" We headed back to the arena. Clarisse looked up and curled her lip as I approached with the knives, still in their sheaths.

"Ready for another round?"

"I'm not beaten yet," I said cheekily. Lying to myself, as usual. Clarisse snorted. I drew the knives and gripped the hilt of each weapon, and suddenly I realized that the weapons felt comfortable in my hands- almost like they were meant for me. A _part_ of me.

When Clarisse charged, I tried to duck, and a piece of my hair was sliced off.

"Hey!" I spun, and blocked Clarisse's next blow with strength I didn't know I possessed.

She looked about as shocked as I felt. I stepped back quickly, dodged her next blow, and managed to take a slice at her arm and draw blood. Clarisse looked stunned.

It was as if something had taken over me. I was suddenly attacking with renewed strength, striking fiercely with both knives while Clarisse barely managed to get a blow in. After a long period of attacking, defending, and basically exhausting myself, I found myself standing with Clarisse's sword pointed down at her face where she lay on the ground. My two knives had somehow found their way back into the sheaths at my waist.

The arena was silent. Then Percy, Annabeth, and Chiron cheered. Clarisse looked up at me mutinously.

"Do you surrender?" I asked, breathless. Clarisse hesitated, then nodded.

"You win. Just this once."

I took a step back, and held out a hand to help her up. Clarisse ignored it, getting up and taking her sword. But when we made eye contact, I saw something I hadn't seen before from Clarisse. Respect.

I slipped the knives back into their sheaths and sauntered over to Chiron, Percy, and Annabeth. My hair was a mess, I was sweaty and probably stank, but I was proud and happy.

"So?"

"I think we have found one of your strengths," Chiron said with a smile.

"You can say that again," Percy said. He shook his head, grinning. "That was..."

"Incredible," Annabeth said. "I've never seen someone who was that good with a knife, other than the Hunters."

I felt a smile spreading over my face. "Well, now I'm even weirder than I was before, huh?"

A familiar figure on the edge of the woods caught my eye then. I could feel his dark gaze burning into me even from this distance, and cleared my throat, wondering if he'd seen the whole thing.

"I'll be back," I said, and broke into a run.

Nico's POV

I had arrived just in time to witness what had to be one of the coolest things I'd seen in a long time.

Bree had taken down Clarisse- one of the most powerful children of Ares that I'd met. She had fought like a Hunter, agile, flexible, quick, and graceful. It was... fantastic.

She ran over to me, still red from her workout, breathing hard, red hair messy.

"Well?"

"That was some fight you put up back there," I said, allowing myself an almost-smile and leaning against the bark of the tree.

"You didn't see the part with the sword, did you?" Bree asked, looking worried and embarrassed.

"No," I said, curious. "Should I have?"

"NO!" Bree said quickly. "I'm horrible."

"You can't be that bad."

"Seriously, it's embarrassing," Bree said with a laugh. She had a nice laugh, I realized. It lit up her eyes.

_What am I thinking?_

"If you're really that bad, maybe you should have someone teach you," I said. Bree laughed humorlessly.

"Clarisse was teaching me, and as you can see, it didn't really work out. And I think it would be hard for anyone to make me an average sword-fighter."

"Maybe you should get someone else to teach you," I suggested.

"Like who?"

"Like... me." The words slipped out before I had a chance to take them back. What was I doing, offering to give sword-fighting lessons to a girl? A girl I'd just met? Was I crazy? I didn't train with people! I didn't even like people!

"You?" Bree looked surprised, and I didn't blame her. "_You_ would give me sword-fighting lessons?"

"Evert demigod should be able to use a sword," I said, attempting to justify my asking her to let me give her private lessons. "No one would have to watch. It would help us both." I was starting to hope she would say yes.

"I don't know... You haven't seen me with a sword."

"How bad can you be?" Bree gave me a look that told me she was very bad, but

Finally, Bree shrugged. "Sure. When?"

"How about we start tomorrow morning? Breakfast is at nine, so... eight o'clock?"

"Sure," Bree said. She looked excited, although it could have been my imagination. I couldn't imagine a girl getting excited about training. With _me_. "Thanks. You're the only person who's offered."

"Well, I'm honored." I smiled slightly, and was surprised at myself. Bree grinned.

"Great! It's a date." She seemed to realize what she'd said because her face reddened. "Sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's fine," I said quickly. "I'll see you then."

"See you then," Bree said. She glanced back up the hill, and I took my chance. I quickly shadow-travelled back to the Underworld before she turned to me.

I was more excited than I should have been.

Bree's POV

When I looked back, Nico was gone. He seemed to like disappearing on me, and I'd only met him twice. Now, though, I was going to have to get used to it.

Sword-fighting lessons with Nico di Angelo. This meant that I was probably going to be seeing a lot more of my... friend? Could I call him that? No...

I was surprised he'd asked me. In the seconds before his expression had become guarded again, I could tell that Nico had surprised himself. Annabeth and Percy would probably be shocked. Hell, everyone would probably be shocked.

_I_ was shocked.

But I was also excited. Despite everything, Nico interested me. He was... different. He was alone, and that made me feel sorry for him, but it wasn't pity that made me want to get to know him. I wasn't sure what it was.

Hopefully I wasn't developing a crush on him. I'd just met him. Besides... I wasn't sure I wanted to be in another relationship with a guy ever again. After all, the one I'd been in... hadn't really worked out.

This made me hopeful, though. Maybe, just maybe, I'd found someone who could understand. Who I could really talk to. At least, I hoped I was right. I was actually starting to look forward to this.

Then I realized- I was going to be sword-fighting. With Nico. I was horrible at sword-fighting. It was embarrassing. It was worse than that, it was... humiliating. He would think I was a klutz.

What if he just gave up on me? What if... what if I accidentally fell on my sword and killed myself? Now I was just being paranoid.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry for the huge delay in updating- the past few months have been kind of crazy! Anyway, finally, Chapter Seven is up! :) Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and followed my story. Enjoy!**

* * *

I woke up to the sound of my phone alarm screaming at me.

"Wake up, Bree, you lazy bum!"

I'd thought it was a good idea, recording myself screaming at myself to get up. But after a few days of waking up to my own voice telling me to get my lazy butt out of bed, the hilariousness of it was starting to wear off. I slammed my hand down on the phone and succeeded in knocking it off of the table.

"UGGGG." I got out of bed, bleary-eyed and sleepy, and picked up the phone. It was seven forty-five. Breakfast wasn't until nine o'clock. Why the heck was I up so early?

I groaned, turned off the alarm, and flopped back into bed. Then my memory of the previous day hit me with a bang. I shot back out of the bed like a rocket.

One of the good things about having a cabin to myself was that no one was there to bother me or ask questions about where I was going. I grabbed purple athletic shorts and a white tank top and got dressed in a hurry, throwing on socks and lacing up a pair of sneakers.

I stopped in front of the mirror to wash off my face and pull my hair back in a messy red ponytail, and felt the unfamiliar feeling of nervousness making my heart beat faster. I was going to be _training _with Nico. _With swords._

I grabbed my water bottle, a watch, and my sword, and ran out of the cabin before I could hesitate any longer.

I reached the arena fairly quickly, seeing as I had run to get there. I stopped with my hands on my knees, out of breath from the sprint. Straightening, I looked around.

There was no sign of Nico di Angelo.

I checked my watch. Seven fifty-eight. Nico had two minutes to get there. What if he didn't show up? Was this some kind of joke?

Two minutes later, I checked my watch. Eight o'clock. I looked up, and Nico di Angelo was standing right in front of me.

"Aah!" I jumped back, startled. Nico raised his eyebrows. He looked the same as always- dressed in black, dark hair hanging in his eyes.

"You came," he said. Did he sound pleased? Did he look happy? I couldn't tell.

"How... You were... You just..."

"Sorry," Nico said. "Did I startle you?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean... Okay, yeah, you did! I don't like it when people sneak up on me."

He looked amused. "I apologize."

I nodded, trying to regain my composure. "Apology accepted." Nico looked at me for a moment, then got down to business.

"You brought a sword? Good." He slipped his arms out of the aviator jacket and set it on the ground. Nico drew his sword, the black metal sliding soundlessly out of its sheath. I looked at the blade nervously.

"We should start with a practice battle, to see how much you've learned," Nico decided. I looked down at my sword.

_Oh, yeah. Sword-fighting practice. _

"Sure, sure," I said. "Sounds great." I got ready, gripping the hilt of my sword tightly until I was pretty sure my knuckles were white. Nico frowned, but didn't say anything. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to make the first move.

I steeled myself and swung. The force nearly knocked me over, and by the time I regained my balance, Nico was behind me. I hadn't even hit him.

The flat of his blade whacked me on the arm, bringing a stinging pain with it. I yelped, spinning and blocking his next attack, but he stepped back and countered with ease, hitting me in the side.

I swung again, but I felt like I was flailing uselessly. The sword was too heavy. I missed my knives. At least then I felt like I knew what I was doing. Was sucking at sword-fighting common for children of Artemis? Well, I wouldn't know, because there were no children of Artemis.

Within seconds, I was lying on the ground, breathing heavily, with the tip of Nico's sword blade dangling above my face. He hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Do I get a C for effort?" I said weakly. Nico shook his head slowly.

"You need some work."

"Thanks for the feedback, Einstein," I said irritably. He offered me a hand, and I took it gratefully. He pulled me to my feet easily, and my hand tingled from the contact.

"Didn't Clarisse teach you anything?" Nico demanded, picking up my sword.

"All she did was hand me a sword and tell me to fight her," I said. "I don't think she liked me."

Nico shook his head. "Clarisse isn't bad," he said. "It's just because you're new, and because you've gotten so much attention."

"Ha," I said humorlessly.

_Some attention that is. Everyone thinks I'm a freak!_

"So, what am I doing wrong?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Nico's mouth. "Do you want to ask that question?"

I scowled, and I could've sworn he almost laughed. "Sorry. First of all, show me how you hold the sword."

I took my sword and gripped it like a baseball bat, putting my feet shoulder-width apart. Nico shook his head.

"Wrong," he said. "Look." He held the sword firmly, showing me his stance and how he held it. I tried to mimic him, and he walked in a slow circle around me.

"Stand up straighter. Bend your knees slightly- not that much! Don't stand flat-footed. No, not like that. Yes, that's right. It's not an axe, don't hold it like that."

Finally, Nico stepped back and nodded, looking satisfied. "That's a start."

"It feels more comfortable," I admitted. Nico nodded.

"It should," he said. "I'll teach you a few basic moves."

Nico was a good teacher. He was patient, and he wasn't a showoff. He didn't get angry when I didn't get it right the first time, which was new for me. If my teachers at school had been like this, I would've done so much better!

By the end of our practice, I was sweaty and flushed, but I felt like I'd learned a little.

"Have I gotten better?" I asked. Nico looked amused.

"It'll take longer than that before you can really tell," he said. "But you're learning quickly."

"Thanks," I said. "Would you mind helping me train more often?"

"I did offer to help you," Nico said. "I can train with you every morning if you'd like." He looked uncertain, and I wondered if he really wanted to train with me. But then again, it didn't matter as long as I was learning. He made the offer, now he would have to go through with it.

"That would be awesome," I said. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Sure," Nico said. "I'll see you then." He turned toward the forest.

"Wait!" He paused, and turned back towards me, dark eyes curious.

"What?"

"Aren't you coming to breakfast?" I asked, thinking how stupid I must sound. Nico's expression darkened slightly.

"I don't usually eat here," he said.

"Where do you eat, then?" I asked, then felt embarrassed. Why was I pestering him? He didn't want to eat with people that treated him like he was different. Could I really blame him?

"Sorry," I said quickly, before he had to answer. "Never mind. I understand. Just... you should come and eat with us sometime. I mean, I don't have anyone to sit with anyway."

Nico's expression was impossible to read.

"Maybe," he said. "Thanks. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," I said, watching him walk away. I wondered where he ate, and where he stayed when he wasn't here. With all the monsters in the world, wouldn't it be hard for a son of Hades to survive outside of camp?

He was gone as soon as he reached the shadow of the trees. There was no sign of him. Maybe it wouldn't be as hard for him as it would be for me.

In some ways, I envied Nico di Angelo. At least he had a place to hide.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Chiron came to watch me practice.

I was at the archery station, working with the Apollo campers. They all seemed nice enough, but eventually the stares and the whispers got irritating. I tried not to let it bother me.

Archery came easily to me. We shot at targets for a while, and once it became obvious that I was ready to move on, they moved the targets further and further away, and had me focus on moving targets, which provided a challenge.

I didn't notice Chiron watching until he spoke.

"I see you have a gift," Chiron said, jerking me out of my own thoughts. "It's not common for someone to be so talented, even a child of one of the twin archer gods."

"Maybe children of Artemis are different," I said. Chiron nodded, looking thoughtful, and I wished I hadn't brought it up.

"Perhaps," he said. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

I looked at the Apollo kids, who were watching with interest, and nodded. "Sure."

We walked to an abandoned corner of the arena, and Chiron glanced around before turning to me.

"The gods have decided to let you live," he said in a low voice.

"Great," I said sarcastically. "How kind of them." Thunder rumbled in the sky, and I glared up at the clouds.

"They're not happy about it," Chiron said. "They don't trust you."

"Why not?" I demanded. "I haven't done anything to them."

"A broken vow always carries bad luck with it," Chiron said warningly. "Besides, we've never had a child of Artemis before. You're different- which means you could be a threat."

"I'm not that dangerous," I said exasperatedly.

"They don't know that," said Chiron. "They've spared your life because they don't want Artemis as an enemy, and because they're curious. But many of them distrust you, Bree."

"Okay, so the gods don't like me," I said. "I already knew that. What's the point of this?"

"Be on your guard," Chiron said. "They are watching you to see what you will do. All I can ask of you is that you be careful what you do, and what you say. And when a quest comes to you, I encourage you to take it. It's in your best interests to earn the favor of the gods."

"I'll be careful," I said. "Thank you, Chiron."

He walked away, and I glanced up at the sky. What would I have to do to earn the gods' trust?

* * *

That night, I walked out onto the pavilion for dinner, ready to sit alone yet again. I had made an offering to Artemis, and was heading back to my seat when I noticed a loner sitting at a table that had previously been abandoned.

Dark eyes looked up and met mine. My eyes widened in shock. It was Nico.

I glanced around. Normally campers from different cabins weren't allowed to sit together. But I'd never been one to follow the rules, and since we were both alone, I figured Chiron could make an exception. I carried my plate over to the table and sat down directly in front of Nico.

"You came," I said. "Why today?"

"I thought I might as well come for dinner," Nico said. I couldn't help but wonder if my question that morning had caused him to come back. Whatever the reason, I was happy to see him- probably more than I should have been.

"Well, you should come more often," I said.

"I've told you," Nico said, "I'm not accepted here."

"I'm still looked at weirdly," I said. "I just try not to care. Besides, I don't care if you're a son of Hades. I think you're interesting, Nico di Angelo, and I intend to befriend you."

"You want to be my friend?" Nico looked slightly skeptical, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"Pretty much, yeah," I said, shrugging.

"Well... thanks," Nico said.

"You're welcome."

"Hey, Bree!" I looked up to see Percy heading over to the table. When he saw Nico seated across from me, his eyes widened. "Nico?"

"Hey, Percy," Nico said, glancing over at me.

"What made you decide to eat here tonight?" Percy asked. "You don't usually eat with the camp... or show yourself at all, really."

"Bree seemed to think I should come eat here sometime," Nico said. "I don't really have another place to be."

"You two have talked some, then?"

"Nico's helping me train," I said. "Sword-fighting stuff."

Percy looked surprised, but he tried not to let it show. "That's great! Are you getting better?"

"I think so," I said. "I mean, it's only my first day."

Percy nodded slowly. "Well... it was good to see you, Nico. And Bree, I heard you'd sorted things out."

"Really? Did Chiron tell you that?" I asked, suddenly wary.

Percy looked sheepish. "Well... kind of."

"Oh." I didn't know what to think of this. Obviously, I was a topic of conversation at camp. But now the activities director was talking about me too? With campers?

"Look, I've gotta go find Annabeth," Percy said quickly. "I'll see you around." He walked away, and I looked down at my plate, suddenly not hungry anymore.

"Bree?"

"I think I'm full," I said, setting my fork down on the plate. "I'm going to go take a walk, I think." I hesitated, then looked up at him. "Will you come with me?"

"Sure," Nico said, surprising me yet again. He stood up with me, and we headed for the beach, ignoring the eyes that followed us as we walked away.

Nico's POV

It was silent as we walked away from the pavilion. I could see the expression on Bree's face, and I knew she was angry.

"You're upset," I said finally.

"What? No."

"Bree, it's obvious. Talk to me."

Bree stopped in her tracks. "Is everyone here talking about me?"

"You _are_ a new camper," Bree opened her mouth for a sharp retort, but I quickly raised a hand to cut her off.

"Bree, I know. We've been through this before- you're different. People are going to talk, and they're going to look at you strangely, because they don't know you. People don't trust things they don't understand."

The thought made me feel bitter. No one had ever fully trusted me.

"I know," Bree said. She shook her head. "I just hate it."

She started to walk again. I kept up with her, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I wish he'd told me," she said, almost to herself.

"Who?"

"My dad."

We'd reached the beach by then. I faced her, not knowing where the conversation was headed.

"Did he know who she was?" I asked. Bree looked surprised by the question.

"I don't know," she said. "I think he did."

"He couldn't tell you," I said. "Monsters would've been able to sense you even more quickly."

"The Brett-monster sensed me easily enough," Bree said irritably. I was momentarily confused, but she shook her head. "My ex-boyfriend."

"Oh," I said, suddenly uncomfortable. I'd forgotten about the monster that had tried to kill her. That had _dated _her.

"Did your mom lie to you about it, too?" Bree asked.

My fists clenched, the way they always did when someone brought up my mother. It was inevitable, but I hated when they asked.

"I never knew her," I said. "My mother's dead."

Bree's face paled, eyes widening in shock. I turned and walked away, knowing that I'd just killed whatever conversation we'd been having. As soon as people heard that my mother had died, they looked at me differently, with pity in their eyes, as if I was some fragile thing. I hated it.

Then I heard her footsteps behind me, and her hand grabbed my shoulder. I froze, slowly turning to face her. I could see that strange aura I gave out affecting her, but her expression held fierce determination, and she didn't let go.

"I'm sorry," Bree said. "I didn't know." She watched me for a long moment, then dropped her hand, looking worried, and a little sad.

"I know," I said finally. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You don't have to," Bree said. "It was stupid of me to bring it up."

I looked at her for a long moment, then sat down on the sand, staring out at the waves. Bree sat down next to me, but I didn't look at her.

"I just wish someone had told me," she burst out. "I mean, I know it's for the best and everything, but I always thought my mother must've had a good reason to leave, and now I know that she could've visited, could've sent me a sign... but she didn't. I know she's a goddess, and she has her responsibilities, and what she did was horrible, but it just sucks, you know? I've been called a lot of things, but not a mistake."

"That's what makes us alike," I said, lying back on the sand. I met her eyes. "We're both born out of broken vows."

Bree shook her head slowly. "We've been blamed for something that's out of our control, Nico. And you're right- it's not our fault. Other people need to accept that. It's not us. It's just them."

I looked at her, and smiled. It felt alien on my face after such a long time without smiling, though I'd come close a few times. Strange- no one else could make me smile like Bree could, and I had only known her for a few days.

"You are so different from the rest of them," I said. "No one else would've dared to come up to me the way you do. I scare them- but not you. You talk to me anyway. You're... different."

"Is that bad?" Bree asked, looking a little worried.

"Not at all. That's a good thing."

Bree smiled, and I felt that unfamiliar smile creeping up on me again.

It was true- she was unique, and I liked that about her. I liked that she could make me smile. I liked that she had a temper. I liked _her._

"Thanks," Bree said. "You're one of the few people who says so."

"Really? Well, they need to tell you that more often," I said.

Bree grinned and got to her feet. "I'd better be getting back," she said, looking a little regretful. "You're training with me tomorrow, right?"

"If you're up for it," I said. Bree nodded. She looked at me for a long moment, and I couldn't seem to look away.

"Well," Bree said, clearing her throat. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"See you then," I said, and she turned and ran back up the hill, hair flying like a scarlet flame behind her.

I turned and walked back towards the dark forest. It wasn't until I reached the shadows that I realized I had a huge grin on my face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight is up! :) **

* * *

The days went by quickly, and soon I had been at camp for an _entire week_. For some reason, it felt like it had been much longer. I was used to life at camp, and I enjoyed it. Sure, people still stared at me like I had three eyes, but I was used to it, and I was learning to ignore them.

Clarisse continued to train with me in the afternoons, and she had noticed that I was improving. She was surprised by this, but I knew why, and it had nothing to do with Clarisse's training.

I continued to train with Nico di Angelo every morning, and with his help, I was slowly improving. Of course, I wasn't good, or even okay, but I wasn't as bad, which I considered a big improvement. Nico and I had gotten into the habit of lingering after practice to talk, sometimes for an hour. He came to meals more often, and we spent much more time together. Everyone seemed surprised by his constant appearances, but I was happy.

Camp was finally becoming a fun place for me. All of my problems seemed to have sorted themselves out- or so I thought.

_Thump!_ I hit the ground hard, head spinning for a moment before I rolled onto my back and gave Nico a thumbs-up. Nico shook his head, holding out a hand and helping me up from the ground. I took a long drink from my water bottle, still breathing hard. Nico looked a little out of breath, which made me feel better. That had to mean I was getting a little bit better.

"You've improved." Nico sheathed his sword, smiling at me. "You'll be slaying monsters in no time."

"You'd better watch out- I'll be better than you soon!" I teased. Nico raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know about that."

"Just wait. I'll beat you next time!"

"You'll never beat me, no matter how good you get," Nico said with a smirk.

"I bet I could beat you if I used my knives instead of a sword." I'd never thought about it. Nico's eyes narrowed, but he looked interested.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked.

"I think it is," I said with a grin. "Do you want to meet me after sword training with Clarisse?"

"Why not?" Nico shrugged. "If you're up for getting beaten again." He smirked, and I made a face at him.

Could I beat Nico? I stood a better chance against him using my knives than I did with a sword, that was for certain. But I didn't know exactly how good he was. He had definitely been holding back during our practices- but how much? I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by someone shouting my name.

"Bree!" I turned to see a familiar curly-haired satyr running –or whatever it is satyrs do- over to me. My eyes widened, and a huge grin spread across my face.

"Zach!" I yelled, and I ran over to him, crashing into him with a huge hug.

"Ugh, you're sweaty!" Zach complained, pulling out of my grip and making a face, wiping off the front of his shirt. I grinned. "What have you been doing?"

"Practicing," I said brightly. "With swords!" Zach looked slightly alarmed at the idea of me practicing with a sharp and deadly weapon, and I didn't blame him. Then he looked past me, and his eyes widened.

"Oh, yeah," I said, glancing at Nico, who was watching with an unreadable expression, arms folded over his chest. "Zach, have you met Nico?" I asked.

"I've heard of him," Zach said. He was staring at the dark-haired boy with wide eyes. Nico stared him down, and Zach looked intimidated. At the moment, I didn't blame him.

"Is this your friend?" Nico asked, glancing at me.

"Yeah," I told him. "Nico, this is Zach. Zach, this is Nico."

"Um… hi," Zach said. He looked back at me. "Are you two practicing?"

"Not now," I said. "We practice for an hour every morning. I'm actually getting better. But what about you? Where have you been?" I felt slightly embarrassed. It had been a week since I'd last seen Zach, and I hadn't really thought of him- or even missed him. Zach was my best friend- or he had been, at school. I felt like a jerk for forgetting about him.

"Oh," Zach said, and he actually blushed. "With the Hunters."

I narrowed my eyes, remembering his crush on Thalia. "Ah," I said. "And… how was that?"

"They're great," Zach said dreamily, "and Lady Artemis is… whoa."

This was extremely awkward for me, since Artemis did happen to be my mother. "Uh, Zach. You're talking about my mom. Let's keep this G-rated."

Zach blushed again. "Right. Sorry. Anyway, the Hunters weren't too happy about… well, you know."

"Yeah," I muttered. Of course they weren't happy.

"But Artemis got everything straightened out. The Hunters brought me back to camp, and now Thalia's talking to Chiron."

"The Hunters are here?" It was Nico speaking. I turned to look at him, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Yeah," Zach said. "I think we might be playing Capture the Flag with them tonight."

"Capture the Flag?" I asked curiously.

"They'll explain it later," Zach said. "But Thalia's looking for you. She wants to talk to you about something."

_Great._ "Oh, okay. Um… when does she want to talk to me?"

"Probably after breakfast," said Zach. "Anyway, I've got to go see Chiron. I just stopped by to say hi. I'll see you later, okay?" He started to walk back toward camp, then glanced back at Nico. "Well… it was nice to meet you." With that, he turned and hurried away.

"Sorry about that," I said, turning back to Nico.

"It's okay, I'm used to it," Nico said, shaking his head. "You're probably glad he's back." He didn't meet my eyes.

"Well, yeah. I mean, he was my best friend at school."

"Was?" Nico glanced up at me. My face flushed slightly.

"Well, he was sort of my only friend at school. Now I have other friends, like you and Annabeth- so I don't know if I consider him my best friend anymore."

Nico seemed to cheer up slightly. "Well… that's good."

"What did he mean about the Hunters playing Capture the Flag with us?"

Nico's eyes darkened. "Whenever they visit camp, we play a 'friendly' game of Capture the Flag. Well, it's supposed to be friendly. But the Hunters always win. And whenever they're here, there's trouble."

"You don't like the Hunters, do you?" Nico sighed. I knew that sigh, and that look, and I knew that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"It's not that. I don't mind them." Before I could be any nosier, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. "Well, you should probably go to breakfast."

"Will I see you there?" I asked.

"I don't know," Nico said. "But I'll be here after you're done training with Clarisse."

"So I can kick your ass?" I said with a grin.

"You can try," Nico said. He smirked at me. A shadow, almost like a door, appeared in the air, and he stepped into it, then disappeared, leaving empty air behind.

* * *

When I walked into breakfast, I was startled to see that my table wasn't empty anymore. It was occupied by a group of girls dressed in silvery clothing. At the head of the table sat Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. I realized then that these were the Hunters.

I grabbed a plate, steeled myself, and walked over to my table. The Hunters quieted when they saw me. Thalia said something in a low voice, and the girls began to whisper to each other, looking at me.

"I can still sit here, right?"

"Sure," Thalia said. "I've been meaning to talk to you anyway." She indicated for me to sit to her right, and I sat down, aware of many pairs of eyes watching me.

"Um… hi," I said to the Hunters. Some of them smiled at me.

"You're Bree, right?" asked a girl with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked at me in a friendly way, and I relaxed.

"Yep," I said.

"I'm Callie," said Callie. "How's camp?"

"It's good, I guess," I said. "It's different. But I like it."

"You do know that camp is not the only option for a girl?' Thalia spoke up. I looked up at her, surprised. "There is another choice- which is why Lady Artemis sent me to speak with you."

"My mom wanted you to talk to me for her?" I asked. "Why couldn't she tell me herself."

"She is a goddess," Callie said. "She doesn't have as much time as you'd expect."

"Lady Artemis wanted me to offer you a choice," Thalia said. "Would you like to join the Hunters?"

As soon as she said it, I felt stupid for not realizing it before. _Of course_- she had been at the museum to offer me a chance to join the Hunters. She hadn't had the chance then, so she was making her offer now.

"Don't take this offer lightly," said Callie. "Being a Hunter is incredibly cool. For one thing, you're immortal."

My eyes widened. Immortality was an option?

_If I want to, I can live forever._

"In order to join the Hunters, you have to pledge yourself to Artemis, and agree to turn your back on the world of men," Thalia explained. "Romantic relationships aren't allowed. You get to stay young forever, and you don't have to worry about a broken heart, or a boy letting you down."

As she said this, I thought about Brett. He had let me down. He hadn't even been a boy. Falling for him had been a mistake- but it was a mistake I wouldn't have to make ever again if I became a Hunter. And I would stay young forever- no more school, no more talk about "responsibility" and "college". It sounded… great.

Then I thought about Nico. Joining the Hunters would mean leaving him behind- forever. It wasn't like I had a _crush _on him –we'd only known each other for a week!- but I enjoyed being friends with him. I enjoyed training with him, and being around him. I liked him, and although I would never admit it to anyone, part of me definitely thought he was attractive. Could I leave him behind?

Joining the Hunters. Becoming immortal. Never having to worry about boys again. It sounded great, but when I thought about leaving Nico, I wasn't so sure.

"Could I think about it?" I asked Thalia hesitantly. She looked surprisingly sympathetic.

"Sure," she said. "It took me a long time to decide too. But… Bree, it's worth it. Trust me, it really is."

I nodded, and gave her a half-hearted smile. "Thanks. I'll definitely think about it."

I was done with breakfast by then, so I got to my feet and left after saying goodbye to Thalia, Callie, and the rest of the Hunters. I felt… overwhelmed.

I walked to the archery range, hoping that practice would ease my mind, but my head was spinning.

How was I going to decide?

* * *

Practice with Clarisse seemed to go by far too slowly. She seemed to notice that my mind wasn't in the training, but didn't say anything. I found that I liked that about Clarisse- she wasn't nosy.

When practice was finally over, I was exhausted, and probably bruised. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to fight Nico after training with Clarisse…

I didn't have time to second-guess myself. A shadow, almost like a door, appeared out of thin air, and Nico stepped out, the shadows seeming to cling to him even after the dark spot disappeared. He saw me and smirked. When he saw how exhausted I looked, his smile faltered.

"You look tired," he remarked. "Did Clarisse beat you up?"

"Almost," I muttered. "I was distracted." Nico looked curious, but he didn't ask questions. He drew his Stygian iron sword, and I picked up my knives from where I'd set them on the ground. The hilts felt warm in my hands, and when I gripped the knives, I felt as if they were a part of me. A burst of confidence made me stand up straighter and forget how tired I was.

"Are you sure about this?" Nico asked. I knew that he thought he would win. I also knew that he would not.

"Absolutely sure," I said. "Prepare to have your ass kicked."

Nico smirked, a wicked smirk that made my heart skip a beat. My face flushed slightly, and I told myself to concentrate. Although, with my ADHD, that was kind of hard.

"Go," I said, and with that, I attacked.

Nico blocked my first blow, but I spun and slashed at him again. He blocked once again, and attacked, but I dodged, too quick for him.

With my knives in my hands, I felt fast, agile- and utterly unstoppable. Each strike was quick and well-aimed, and I had never felt better. The only problem was Nico. He was very, _very _good.

I had known that Nico was good when I first practiced with him, but now I knew that he had been holding back the entire time. He had realized that I was good with the knives, and now he was using all of his strength and all of his energy, and he was much better than I'd thought. Nico fought with an intensity that I was struggling to match. But neither of us had landed a blow yet.

Nico attacked. I brought up both knives and blocked his strike, but he was stronger. He knocked aside my blades and slashed at my shoulder. I dodged, but a severed lock of red hair fell to the ground. I attacked again, and this time cut a slash in his jeans. Nico's sword slashed my shoulder.

We were both sweating, breathing hard, each blow falling with more intensity. I knew that I was more tired than he was. I couldn't keep this up for much longer. Then I saw my chance. I ducked under his sword blade and put the edge of my knife blade to his throat.

But I hadn't won, I realized, my brief feeling of victory fading. The ice-cold edge of Nico's sword blade dug into the back of my neck ever-so-slightly. I was trapped, and so was he.

"Whoa," Nico breathed. He was breathing hard, and so was I. I couldn't seem to get enough air. That was before I realized how close I was standing to him. We were almost nose-to-nose, his arm brushing my shoulder, his dark eyes staring into mine. His smile faded, and he just looked at me. My heart sped up, and chills ran down my spine.

"That was incredible." I turned my head and saw Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth standing there, watching us. Immediately Nico and I both stepped away from each other, my face flushed- and not just from the fight. Thalia was shaking her head.

"Have you trained with those before?" she asked me.

"Only a few times this week," I said.

"Her first time fighting with them, she beat Clarisse," Percy informed Thalia, who looked stunned and a little awed.

"Those are hunting knives," Thalia said. "A Hunter's hunting knives." I looked down at them, then back up at her. She smiled at me for the first time. "It seems like you were meant to join us." Her eyes fell on Nico, and she looked more than a little surprised. "Oh. Hey, Nico."

Nico looked at me, realization dawning in his gaze. "That's what she wanted to talk about. The Hunters want to recruit you."

Annabeth and Percy looked awkward, and Thalia's gaze moved back and forth between Nico and I with a knowing look. My face flushed again, and I looked back at Nico, who was watching me.

"We should probably be going," Annabeth said.

"Yeah," Percy said quickly. "Thalia hasn't seen Grover yet. Um... see you guys later!" They walked away, and Nico and I were alone.

"You're... very good," I said hesitantly. Nico looked back at me.

"Thanks," he said. He didn't smile, though. "You're better than I expected."

"Oh, so you thought I would be bad?" I narrowed my eyes at him, but Nico didn't look amused. I sighed. I didn't want to tell him about Thalia's offer. The battle had managed to take my mind off of it, and now it was back in my thoughts again. But I knew I couldn't lie to Nico. He wouldn't believe me.

"Okay, Thalia did ask me to join them. Artemis sent her and the other Hunters to recruit me. That's what she wanted to talk to me about at breakfast."

Nico's face was expressionless, but he didn't look happy. I got the feeling that he'd been expecting this. "And what did you say?"

"I said that I would think about it," I said, looking at the ground.

"You think you might want to join, don't you?" When I didn't reply, Nico took a step forward, forcing me to look up and meet his eyes. "Bree, don't."

"Why not?" I demanded, looking up at him. "It won't affect you." Nico shook his head, looking frustrated now.

"If you become a Hunter, you won't be able to talk to me anymore," Nico said. "You realize that, don't you? You can't talk to guys anymore. You won't even be able to talk to your satyr friend."

"I'll be able to talk to both of you!" I protested. "They can't keep me from doing that."

"But it won't be the same. You'll always be gone, and you'll be immortal. The rest of us aren't going to live that long." I took a deep breath.

"Why do you care?" I demanded. "It's not like you have to become a Hunter too!"

"Bree, I don't have any other friends," Nico said, looking angry now. "Who else do you think I have to talk to? There's no one else. You're the only person in this camp who doesn't look at me like I'm different. Without you, I'll have no one except my father, who doesn't even like me. I'll have Percy and Annabeth, sure, but it's not the same. I don't want to lose someone else." His eyes widened, and he seemed to realize he'd said too much. I stared at him, mouth open slightly.

"Who?" I asked quietly. "Who did you lose?" Nico was silent for a long time, and I thought he wouldn't answer me. Then he sighed.

"My sister, Bianca," he said quietly. "When I first came to Camp Half-Blood, she joined the Hunters. I didn't have anyone else. I was alone. I was angry with her." He wasn't looking at me. His gaze seemed to be far away. "Then she went on a quest, to save Artemis. I asked Percy to keep her safe. He tried, but... she was killed. I never saw her again. I never got to apologize for being angry."

He closed his eyes. I watched him, full of sadness and regret. _Of course._ It explained everything. "Nico, I'm so sorry."

"I was ten." He opened his eyes and they were dark with sadness. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and gave Nico di Angelo a hug.

Nico stiffened in shock, then relaxed. His arms wrapped around me, and I was surprised by how _warm_ he was, despite the chills that ran up and down my spine. I released him after a moment, and he looked at me without speaking. I almost blushed, surprised by the sudden warmth in his eyes, but I held his gaze.

"Nico, I haven't made any decisions," I said in a low voice. "You're my best friend. I don't want to lose you, and you're not losing me. I'm not leaving you. Okay?"

Nico was quiet for a long time. Then he smiled.

"Okay.


End file.
